Sangkhla Buri was one of those places that felt like a real escape from the more familiar tourist side of Thailand. Located in the northern part of Kanchanaburi Province, close to the Myanmar border, it is surrounded by mountains, forests and the enormous Vajiralongkorn Reservoir.
We came to see the famous Mon Bridge, and ended up spending an entire day exploring the area around it, taking a boat across the reservoir to a sunken temple, eating local food, wandering through the night market and getting a very cool dessert back at our hotel.
The Drive to Sangkhla Buri
We drove north from Kanchanaburi toward Sangkhla Buri, with the road gradually becoming more mountainous and remote.
The farther we traveled, the more the scenery changed. The busy roads and developed areas gave way to forest, mountains and small communities scattered along the route. Sangkhla Buri is not a place you pass through on the way to somewhere else. It takes some effort to get there, but that distance is part of its appeal.
When we arrived, we checked into Evergreen Hill Resort. After the drive, we were ready for a relaxing evening, and fortunately, we didn’t have to go anywhere for dinner.
A Surprisingly Good Thai Dinner
We had dinner at Evergreen Hill Resort, and the Thai food turned out to be excellent. It was a top-notch Thai dinner and a great introduction to the area. Afterward, we settled in for the night because we had plans to be up very early the next morning.
Daybreak at the Mon Bridge
From our hotel, we walked to the Mon Bridge at daybreak. The bridge, officially known as Saphan Mon, is Sangkhla Buri’s signature landmark. Built almost entirely from wood, it stretches across the reservoir and connects the town with the Mon community on the other side.
It is generally described as Thailand’s longest wooden bridge and one of the longest wooden pedestrian bridges in the world.
At that early hour, the bridge was already busy. We encountered many Burmese visitors and local residents making their way across. Some people carried stacks of baskets balanced remarkably high on their heads, while others carried flowers. It was one of those scenes that brought confusion and wonderment since I still don’t know what those flower baskets on their heads was all about.
Spending the Day Around the Bridge
We ended up spending much of the day around the Mon Bridge. Rather than simply crossing it, taking a few pictures and moving on, we explored the surrounding area on foot. There are small shops, food stalls and restaurants around the bridge, and it was easy to spend time wandering around, watching the people and taking in the views across the reservoir.
We also stopped to eat in the area. The bridge has a very different character depending on the time of day. Early in the morning it has a peaceful, almost atmospheric quality, while later there is much more activity as visitors and locals fill the surrounding area. We weren’t in any hurry, so we simply enjoyed being there.
Taking a Boat Across the Reservoir
At some point, we decided it was time to get out on the water. We chartered a boat to take us around the reservoir, giving us a completely different view of Sangkhla Buri and the surrounding mountains. From the water, the scale of the reservoir becomes much more apparent. Mountains surround the area, and the landscape feels remarkably peaceful.
But we had another destination in mind. We wanted to see the remains of the old Wat Wang Wiwekaram.
The Sunken Wat Wang Wiwekaram
One of the most unusual things about Sangkhla Buri is what lies beneath the reservoir. When the valley was flooded following construction of the Vajiralongkorn Dam, the original settlement was submerged. The old Wat Wang Wiwekaram was among the structures affected. Depending on the water level, portions of the old temple can be seen rising from the reservoir.
Seeing the remains from the boat was a surreal experience. It is difficult to look at the water and imagine that an entire community once existed beneath it. The surrounding scenery was beautiful, but there was also something haunting about knowing what was underneath us. The boat ride gave us an opportunity to see the area from another perspective and made the visit to Sangkhla Buri feel considerably more memorable.
Back to the Mon Bridge
After returning from the boat trip, we went back to the bridge area. We spent more time walking across the old wooden bridge and exploring the surrounding community. We also ate in the area, making this much less of a traditional sightseeing day and more of a day simply experiencing Sangkhla Buri. There was no need to constantly get into the car and drive to the next attraction. We could walk around, find something to eat, watch the people and enjoy the scenery.
The Sangkhla Buri Night Market
Later that evening, we headed to the local night market. By then, the atmosphere around Sangkhla Buri had changed completely from the early morning. The market was filled with food, snacks, drinks and local products, with people coming out to eat and socialize. We wandered through the market, checking out the different food stalls and enjoying the evening. After a full day around the bridge and reservoir, it was a relaxed way to finish the day.
Korean Bingsu at the Hotel
When we returned to Evergreen Hill Resort, we ordered a unique dessert. Cinnamon toast crunch Korean Bingsu. This is shaved ice with toppings and very delicious! It was a great treat after such a long day, and sitting down with a cold dessert was a pretty perfect way to finish our time in Sangkhla Buri. Between the excellent Thai dinner the previous evening and the Bingsu at the end of our day, Evergreen Hill Resort turned out to be a very enjoyable place to stay.
More Than Just a Wooden Bridge
The Mon Bridge may be the image most people associate with Sangkhla Buri, and it certainly deserves the attention. But after spending a full day there, I think the real attraction is everything surrounding the bridge. It’s the people carrying baskets and flowers in the early morning. It’s the Mon community on the other side of the water. It’s the food stalls and small restaurants. It’s the boat ride through the reservoir and the strange sight of a temple emerging from the water.
It’s the mountains surrounding everything. And it’s the fact that you can spend hours simply walking around and observing everyday life without feeling like you have to hurry off to the next attraction. Sangkhla Buri feels different from much of the Thailand we’ve traveled through. It’s more remote, more multicultural and much more connected to its borderland location.
We came to see a wooden bridge. We left with memories of a sunken temple, a boat ride through the mountains, baskets balanced on people’s heads, local food, a night market and a tasty bowl of Korean Bingsu. That’s some pretty good exploring in Thailand.